New GE Analysis: Software & Hardware Upgrades Could Cut Global CO2 Emissions from Coal & Gas Power Plants by One Billion Metr...
December 05 2016 - 4:03PM
Business Wire
- First-of-its-kind analysis shows the
potential to reduce CO2 emissions from world’s fleet of coal and
gas plants by one billion metric tons (MT) – the equivalent of
taking 95 percent of U.S. cars off the road
- Heavily coal reliant countries, China
and India, account for nearly 40 percent of global reductions
potential
- Russia and the U.S. are found to have
biggest opportunity to improve gas plant efficiencies
GE today released a first-of-its-kind analysis of global power
plants, which found that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the
world’s fleet of coal and gas plants can be reduced by 10 percent –
the equivalent of removing 95 percent of cars off U.S. roads – when
existing hardware and software solutions are fully applied. The
analysis is the first to quantify the emission reductions of using
existing technologies to upgrade the global fleet of coal and
gas-based power plants.
“The technology to make coal and gas more efficient is available
now – countries and companies alike should be taking advantage of
this to lower their carbon output,” said Deb Frodl, global
executive director, Ecomagination, GE. “These actions should be
taken as a complement to continued investment in renewable energy
sources as we all strive to find carbon reductions across the
energy mix.”
GE used a proprietary set of data for each coal and gas-fired
plant in the world to uncover potential opportunities to improve
plants’ heat rate and lower carbon emissions. The analysis comes as
countries around the world are looking for climate saving solutions
that will help them transition to a lower carbon energy future.
Potential for Coal Plant Upgrades
- Coal power plants could be made
approximately 4 percent more efficient with 2.5 percent in
efficiencies coming from turbine and boiler upgrades, and 1.5
percent coming from software improvements.
- The analysis also found that applying
all potential upgrades to coal power plants can remove 900 million
metric tons of CO2 (11 percent of total coal power emissions) –
more than the annual CO2 output of the United Kingdom and France
combined.
- China (296 MT) and India (143 MT) are
two countries with big opportunities in the coal power sector.
Potential for Gas Power Plant Upgrades
- Similarly, GE’s analysis estimates that
gas-fired power plants could be made approximately 3.3 percent more
efficient with 1.8 percent coming from hardware upgrades and 1.5
percent coming from software improvements. These savings could
reduce global gas power emissions by 203 metric tons or 8.8
percent.
- Russia (45 MT) and the U.S. (34) are
two countries with big opportunities in the gas power sector.
“Our goal is to provide technology solutions that best meet the
needs of our customers and help reduce emissions,” said Paul
McElhinney, president & CEO, GE Power Services. “Globally,
carbon emissions from coal and gas-fired electricity generation can
be reduced by 10 percent annually, and GE’s software and hardware
upgrade solutions can help make this a reality with moderate
investments in the installed base.”
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA),
approximately 41 percent of global electricity generation comes
from coal-fired power plants and 22 percent comes from gas-fired
power plants. The IEA estimates that both fuels will see increased
use over the next decade. For markets with significant energy needs
and coal reliance, like China and India, upgrades to power plants
can help provide cleaner energy options and help countries make
progress towards their climate goals. With natural gas playing an
increasingly important role in many markets around the world, there
is also great opportunity to ensure that it too is being utilized
as efficiently as possible.
In response to the findings, GE has set up a dedicated team to
provide customers with holistic software, hardware and financing
solutions for coal plant upgrades.
Additional findings from GE’s Global Power Plant Analysis
include:
- Upgrades to the entire global coal
fleet can save 494 million tons of fuel globally on an annual
basis.
- In the European Union – where there is
a goal to reduce emissions 40 percent by 2030 – these solutions can
help drive efficiencies from coal reliant countries like Poland
where coal accounts for 80 percent of electricity generation.
- In Africa, South Africa has the biggest
opportunity for fuel and carbon savings (23 MT) coming upgrades in
the coal power sector.
To learn more about GE’s Global Power Plant Analysis, visit
http://www.gereports.com/ge-power-plant.
About GE
GE (NYSE:GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial
Company, transforming industry with software-defined
machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and
predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of
knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and
accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect.
Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our
industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE
delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of
industry. www.ge.com
About GE Power
GE Power is a world leader in power generation with deep domain
expertise to help customers deliver electricity from a wide
spectrum of fuel sources. We are transforming the electricity
industry with the digital power plant, the world’s largest and most
efficient gas turbine, full balance of plant, upgrade and service
solutions as well as our data-leveraging software. Our innovative
technologies and digital offerings help make power more affordable,
reliable, accessible and sustainable.
For more information, visit the company's website
at www.gepower.com. Follow GE Power on
Twitter @GE_Power and on LinkedIn at GE
Power.
About Ecomagination
Ecomagination is GE’s business strategy to deliver improved
economic and environmental outcomes for our customers and in our
own operations. Ecomagination drives global impact through cleaner
and more efficient technology, the development of partnerships and
new business models, research and thought leadership and convening
key stakeholders to take action. The deployment of solutions at
global scale drives significant outcomes for our customers and
their communities across the energy, water and transportation
sectors.
For more information, visit www.ecomagination.com. Follow
Ecomagination on Twitter @ecomagination.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161205006248/en/
GE PowerKatie Jackson, +1 518-385-5976Katie.Jackson@ge.comorGE
EcomaginationJosef Skoldeberg, + 1
202-769-9278josef.skoldeberg@ge.com
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